Discussion: shoes and pedals for cycling training

I've never owned a bike with the clipless shoes and pedals before. I'm planning on buying them in the next couple of days, but I don't know exactly what I want. So, I thought I'd tap into the wisdom of attackpoint readers everywhere:)

Ideally I want a pedal/shoe combo that will be good for now but that I can also continue to use as I get more into biking or as I get a more specialized bike.

I've gotten into riding recently as I've been cross-training and I'm enjoying it. I'm not 100% sure if I'm leaning more towards road or mountain biking-- although at the moment much more time on roads. I anticipate that someday I'll own both a mountain bike and road bike, but currently I just own a bike with front wheel suspension that I can put on either mountain tires or a slightly narrower tire for touring/roads. I don't expect to be any serious bike racing except for maybe an adventure race or triathlon at some point. If I do some mountain biking, I expect that I'll be spending some of the time walking the bike over roots and such.

So, what should I be thinking about when choosing what I want? What recommendations do you have?

Thanks!!!

Suzanne,

I don't have any expert recommendations for you, but went down the same road earlier this year. In doing quite a bit of research and reading I found a lot of folks liked the Crank Bros Eggbeater pedals and wound up getting a set of Eggbeater C pedals myself (their entry model). However the style of riding I do (recumbent, leisurely pace, mostly solo) I decided I preferred the freedom of not being clipped over the professed efficiency gains of going clipless.

So if your research leads you toward Eggbeaters and SPD shoes, I've got a set of Eggbeater C pedals with about 40 miles on them, still in the box with all packing and cleats, just some minor scratching. I think I paid around $90 for them at the local LBS, I'd be willing to let them go for $50. Drop me an email off list if interested...

Also have a pair of mens 10.5 Lake Sandals (same 40 miles on them) - comfortable enough, but I find I'd just as soon ride platform pedals with my running shoes.

Sounds like a great deal!

I've been very happy with my Time ATAC clipless pedals, which I've used mostly off-road. When my husband first bought clipless pedals for me, I was convinced that he'd taken out a big life insurance policy on me in hopes of collecting! ;-) I hated the darned things. Then after a few months had passed, I couldn't imagine riding without them.

When we first bought the pedals, the clerk said that Time ATAC was a better brand for people with knee problems (no idea if that's true) and easier for mountain bikers to use in the mud (this does seem to be true).

If you plan on hiking the bike or going muddy, then I'd go for the Egg Beaters or ATACs. Either are quite good, especially in mud and snow. As Bash says, once you've been in them for a while you will not be able to imagine riding without being clipped in. It's not just efficiency - you get waaaaaaay more control over the bike. I was stuck without my egg beaters for a bit this summer (lost luggage saga) and tried going back to platforms for a bit - it instantly took away a good chunk of my (limited) technical ability, along with power and efficiency.

I currently ride egg beaters, and I like them a lot. If you want the ability to ride from time to time without your cycling shoes, or just like a slightly larger platform while getting used to the pedals, then I'd suggest looking at the Crank Brothers Candy or Smarty pedals. Same egg beater device, surrounded by a small composite platform. Excellent deals can be found by searching on:

www.qbike.com

As far as shoes go if you're not sure about what type of riding you'll do, then I'd go for a mountain biking shoe - these are a bit more flexible and way easier for walking in compared to road shoes. Get whatever fits you as perfectly as possible, and don't worry about the price - a good pair of shoes can last a looong time, and even if you change your mind on pedals you can just pop different cleats on the same pair of shoes. I personally use Sidi Dominators, and have abused them for quite a while with no problems whatsoever.

There are many fine clipless pedals. For various reasons, I prefer SpeedPlays (among other things, they have no tendency to jam when you want to release from them). I use the MTB version, which makes walking easier due to the recessed cleat. Road shoes really aren't made for walking in at all.

I'm no help on pedals since I've always used the same ones for all my bikes (Shimano mtn bike SPD pedals or compatibles) and have no idea whether I'd like others any better. They work for me just fine, I can share shoes between without changing cleats, and I can ride them in regular shoes (or combat boots, for instance) in a pinch.

BUT, I do recommend riding sandals. I have a pair of the Shimano sandals that I use for all of my warm weather road riding. They're great for touring around because they're comfortable for walking in. Not as stiff as regular road shoes but much stiffer than, say, sneakers. I've even raced in them (triathlons and bike time trials), though I'm sure serious racers would scoff. ;-)

For mtn biking and cooler weather road riding I use regular mtn bike shoes.

Wow, everything good has already been mentioned: Eggbeaters, Time ATACs, Speedplays and Riding Sandals. We really do know what we're talking about!!!

I'll back up the recommendations on Time ATACs. Worn them for years of AR.

I ride SpeedPlay roadies. So do Peggy and Nadim. They are mighty fine road pedals as jj mentioned, but you definately don't want to do anything else in them. Even stepping off the pavement to take a leak can jam the cleats with dirt. The MTB version might be better if you plan to do a bit of walking and trail riding. Also SpeedPlay never seems to go on sale and the entry level model runs $115 - I've been waiting 2 years for a sale so I can upgrade a level or two but no luck yet. Clint's eggbeater deal sounds like a good one - I think I'd take him up on it. Different people prefer the function of one type over another, so you might want to go to a shop an try out a few before you buy anything. They all take a little practice to get used to. Here's a link to Performance Bike so you can see what all these things look like.

The only shoes which is good for me is SIDI - tried almost everything on the market with no luck. Nice buy for $200+ bucks.

The main benefit of egg beaters is for mountain biking since mud will not clog up the peddle and prevent your from clipping in. (most important in mountain bike racing). The disadvantage is that you have less surface space on the pedal when not clipped in (ie. for the occassional times during a ride when you peddle not clipped, like the middle of a climb or something). Also, they might be harder to get used to when just starting out with clipless.

Time are kind of the same idea as egg beaters (all about mud). The advantage is that they have more surface space. Also, they have a bit of lateral movement from side ot side when clipped in (I think why some people find them better on the knees, as opposed to SPD when is locked in straight).

SPD are the most common. You can get pairs of SPDs which will shed mud too, but cheaper ones won't. Advantage is that they're the most common, so its easy to transfer from one bike to another (including spinning bikes in most gyms).

So the main criteria is whether you care about shedding mud, lighness (Eggbeaters are the lightest), or ease of first use. You can get a pair of SPDs the cheapest, the other models are more expensive I believe.

I don't know much about road peddals, but I believe Speedplay are really good. If you're going to have 2 bikes, I would recommend getting the same peddals for both, so you only need 1 pair of shoes. If your not racing, I would probably just go with a cheap pair of SPD, cause the benefits of the others are really most important when racing.

I use SPD (XTR model) on my mountain bike and Speedplay's on the road. I still use toe clips (with double straps) on the track because I've seen what happens when you pull a foot off while sprinting on a track bike and I don't ever want that to happen to me.

If I was going with one general purpose setup, I'd use a slightly cheaper version of SPD (XT, or even LX). The XTR's are pretty hardcore and you'll probably freak at how hard you have to twist to get your foot out. That's what you want for racing since having your foot pop out by accident is not a good thing, but it's a bit intimidating when you're first getting used to them.

I've seen what happens when you pull a foot off while sprinting on a track bike and I don't ever want that to happen to me.

Oh I'm sure you could handle it. I remember the time you won the 1,2,3 field sprint at Greek Peak sprinting sitting down, after you'd broken a strap or something earlier in the race.

Yeah, but I went into that sprint already knowing I only had 1 foot attached. The best one was the sprint at district champs in 1987 when I'd already busted a couple chainring bolts (who ever heard of that happening?) I figured any second the remaining ones would let go and that would be it for any family plans.

I should mention that I also still use toeclips sometimes, because:
a) they let me use shoes that are really designed for moving around on foot, which is handy if I'm using the bike to do something like get me deep into the woods for course-setting, after which time I'll be hoofing it around in o-shoes, and
b) they're dirt cheap.

(And on the unicycle, it's just plain old platform pedals, of course.)

I still use toeclips for two types of events:

1) Winter adventure races (ski/bike/snowshoe), where the extra transition time and risk of cold toes make it less desirable to change shoes for biking.

2) A recent multi-sport relay (run/bike/paddle) that had 8 transitions per 1-hour lap.

Oh, I'm glad some riders still use toe clips. That's all we have on our bikes, and we own 10 of them. I guess clipless is more efficient, but the expense of converting is quite high.
Of course I still have friction shifters, too....

I still use toeclips too, for everything, and can't think of any good reason to switch. I don't race and have no plans too. If clipless is a little more efficient, so what? I'm just out for a ride and some exercise anyway. If there's a breakdown, being able to hop off and hoof it back comfortably is huge advantage to me.

I don't prefer clipless pedals because they're efficient, although I'm sure they are. I prefer them because I feel safer riding off-road in them. They give me increased control and a greater ability to get out of the pedals quickly (although that took some practice!)

Clipless pedals are waaaaay more comforatble on a long ride.

My racing and touring bikes have clipless pedals. I agree with Eric that they are the only way to go on long rides.

Like JJ, my mountain bike is primarily used in situations where I am also wanting to be comfortably moving around on foot, wearing regular running shoes (running errands in town, riding to work, hanging O bags, vetting courses for the SF Night and Day). A few years ago I discovered a product called Power Grips which I am a huge fan of. I have found they give you a much firmer attachment to the pedal than toeclips, while being just as easy to get a foot in and out of. The URL is

http://powergrips.mrpbike.com/pg_benefits.shtml

Good suggestion - it's actually Power Grips that I use for those few events where I go non-clipless. (Hmmm.... double negative?)

'Bent has MTB shoes that are like stiff-soled trail running shoes with good tread and cleats. In adventure racing, we sometimes do a lot of hike-a-bike, and his shoes work just fine. (And I've learned to bushwhack and wade swamps pretty well in my little Shimano shoes.)

Thanks everyone!